The writings of Luke the physician starting with his version of the gospel - Luke 6:27-36 comments: love your enemies

Luke 6:27 ¶  But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, 28  Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. 29  And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. 30  Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. 31  And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. 32  For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. 33  And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. 34  And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35  But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36  Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

The blessing now turns to instruction in the Christian attitude toward living and the nuts and bolts of how we are to interact with the world. Verse 27 is backed up by several Old Testament verses under the Law given to Moses.

Exodus 23:4  If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. 5  If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.

There is a principle under the Law of not rejoicing when one’s enemy suffers and to do good to one’s enemies but Jesus clarifies it by taking it one step further, calling on His followers to love those who hurt them and use them.

Verse 29 reminds me that in some of the more backward cultures in America there is a thing called, “takin’ your manhood,” where a guy will slap another guy just to see if he will respond in kind or back down when dominated. If the person doesn’t retaliate with a fist he’s surrendered his manhood and dignity. It is like how men would challenge each other to a duel and to preserve your manhood you had to accept.

Remembering that Jesus could have called on legions of angels to protect Him from the Cross…

Matthew 26:53  Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

And that He told His disciples to carry a sword for protection…

Luke 22:36  Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. 37  For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. 38  And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

…it is clear that the context of this command is important for understanding. This is about power under restraint, having the right to do a thing but for the Lord’s sake, for eternity’s sake, not doing it. This is one of the hardest parts of the Christian walk after trusting and loving God.

This is not about just being a doormat for people to walk on and wipe their feet. The key to this passage is in the “Golden Rule” starting in verse 31. Considering what we have done to God and how He constantly forbears exacting our just desserts He is only asking us to have the same mercy and grace that He does to others. This doctrine is not acceptable to many, especially those who want the benefits of eternal life and yet don’t want to obey Christ. These aren’t suggestions. Like the Ten Commandments and the Law given to Moses these are God’s standard of righteousness. You can pretend that you are close to God because you don’t curse, drink, do drugs, or look at porn, do work a job, support your family, pay your taxes, and obey the law but this is where the proverbial rubber hits the road.

The first test of this would be to see if you can display this behavior within your own family, to your own spouse and children, and then outward from there. This is not possible without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the proof or fruit of which is…

Galatians 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

For those of us who demand our “propers” and get angry when we feel slighted or not appreciated this is a huge challenge. But, it’s not over. Christ isn’t finished. Verses 35 and 36 helps us understand why bad people are allowed to flourish in this world, or so it seems. It really rankles us who have been their victims.

Jeremiah 12:1  Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore [why, or for what reason] doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?

Exodus 17:8-16 comments: Amalek fights with the Israelites

Exodus 17:8 ¶  Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9  And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. 10  So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11  And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12  But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13  And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14  And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. 15  And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: 16  For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.

Verse 14 suggests that this may have been recorded in a book we don’t have unless the book of the wars of the LORD is the original name of Exodus.

Numbers 21:14  Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,

We’ve already seen how God placed power in Moses’ rod in several instances as God worked through Moses and the rod he held in his hand. Moses’ grew tired and Aaron and Hur gave him  a stone to sit on and held up his hands. Moses selected Joshua, first mentioned here, to lead the battle.

There are many possible sermons out of this passage. Lest Israel put faith in the sword, Moses’ rod seems to cause success or failure. The man called by God to lead can’t do it on his own and needs the help of faithful friends and followers for support. Joshua, a type of Christ, fights the battle directed by Moses, here a type of God the Father. There are many, many ideas for an exhortation that can be drawn from this passage, however imperfect they may be or how they fall apart at some point as types usually do is irrelevant. We can think of the things that God might be trying to open our minds to by reading this way. But, for now, let us look at the narrative.

Now, we have a better clue as to where the Hebrews are.

1Samuel 15:7  And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.

1Samuel 27:8  And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.

So, the Amalekites lived between Egypt and Canaan in the northern part of the Sinai peninsula. The Hebrews were not far even then from the Promised Land.

Judges 12:15  And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.

Joshua 16:5 ¶  And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Atarothaddar, unto Bethhoron the upper; 6  And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanathshiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah; 7  And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan. 8  The border went out from Tappuah westward unto the river Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families. 9  And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages. 10  And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.

So, the Amalekites would have been in the way of getting into the land promised to the Hebrews by God. Amalekites play an important part in the Bible.

The Amalekites were descendants of Esau.

Genesis 36:12  And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau’s son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau’s wife.

The Amalekites took the city of Ziklag and kidnapped David’s wives in 1Samuel 30. In 2Samuel, chapter 1, an Amalekite lied to him and said he killed King Saul, thus resulting in his own death. Agag, a later king of the Amalekites, will be the ancestor of the villain of the book of Esther, Haman.

1Samuel 15:8  And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

Esther 3:1  After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.

As the first people who opposed the children of Israel after leaving Egypt the Amalekites are a cursed lot. For the Lord to have war with Amalek from generation to generation it is clear they are going to be villains in God’s ministry of reconciling man to Himself.

Moses calls the altar he builds Jehovahnissi. Strong said that meant, “Jehovah is my

 banner.”

The writings of Luke the physician starting with his version of the gospel - Luke 6:1-26 comments: Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God

Luke 6:1 ¶  And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. 2  And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days? 3  And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him; 4  How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone? 5  And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. 6  And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. 7  And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. 8  But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. 9  Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? 10  And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. 11  And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.

Again, Jesus’ disciples are being criticized by the Pharisees for what the Pharisees consider to be disregarding the traditions of the Jews that had grown up around the Law. Jesus defends necessity against ritual observance of regulations. He refers to circumstances in 1Samuel 21.

Jesus forces the issue in the synagogue by healing a man and then does this to provoke the scribes and Pharisees who were present.

    Luke 6:12 ¶  And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13  And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; 14  Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15  Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, 16  And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor. 17  And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; 18  And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. 19  And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.

Modern evangelical scholars will say that this is just a variation of the giving of the Sermon on the Mount given in Matthew. But, they are wrong. Its emphasis is more social and political while the sermon in Matthew is more spiritual. Secondly, Jesus is standing in a plain here, not seated on a hillside. Third, he has all of His disciples here but does not have them all when He gives the sermon in Matthew. Fourth, the sermon in Matthew is given by Him seated in front of a few disciples not in front of the multitude of people as here. Jesus is poking at the social order here as well as calling His disciples to holiness and trust in God.

I suspect that historically scholars who have tried to make these two sermons the same wanted to uphold the social order that supported them and elevated them and the content of what comes next was probably disturbing taken on its own.

    Luke 6:20 ¶  And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. 21  Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. 22  Blessed are ye, when men shall hate  you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. 23  Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. 24  But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. 25  Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. 26  Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

Jesus speaks to His disciples and in a land where many people were desperately poor and struggled to survive against disease and hunger every day. The fool says that happiness is the highest achievement of man or woman. Happiness is enjoying what one wants without being disturbed and one can be happy over many things that are like wisps of smoke dissolving in a breeze like ambition, pleasure, possessions, and other things of mankind’s fancy that can be taken away in a moment due to a bad circumstance or failing health.

The highest state of mankind is blessedness from God, a sense of closeness to our Creator and a love for Him. To be blessed by God is to have things bestowed on you that will count in eternity. Children that are led to receive Christ as their Saviour, joy in adversity, a satisfying prayer life speaking to God, and reading the Bible, God speaking to you, the relationships between loving family and dear friends, a good reputation, feeling that God’s hand is on your life rather then you thinking of yourself as your own god are all things that cannot be bought with money.

God holds in contempt the things that man lifts up as being of high value; wealth, power, education, obsessions with things sexual, privilege, and possessions. Later in Luke Jesus says;

Luke 16:15  And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

This blessing on the poor, the hungry, and the sorrowful revolves around their devotion to Christ. It is not a blanket social statement for the poor in general as He is speaking to His disciples. The sermon here, as in Matthew, is a declaration of the constitution for the Kingdom of God. It is the ground rules.

Most followers of Christ were poor in the beginnings of the Christian religion and the wealthy elite persecuted them. The Bible, God’s word, contains here a declaration of independence from the rich and powerful who oppressed them. Their blessedness, their happiness, if you will, comes from God Himself not from circumstances or from the pity or kindness of a member of the power elite.

In the earlier sermon, giving on a hillside and reported in Matthew, Jesus says;

Matthew 5:3 ¶  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The poor in spirit is the condition of a person’s whole demeanor as no person will truly come to Christ until they realize they are spiritually bankrupt and hopeless without Him.

For the verse in Matthew there are several important verses from the Old Testament to consider.

Psalm 34:18  The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Psalm 51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Isaiah 57:15  For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Isaiah 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Here in Luke, though, there is a context of the status of the disciples of Christ as poor, hungry, sorrowful, and hated for His name’s sake but they are blessed by God for these very reasons. This is hard for us in the modern world as wealth is worshipped and in the 19^th century in America the most popular sermon was entitled Acres of Diamonds which uplifted the wealthy as the best of people. The author of the sermon, Russel H. Conwell, founder of Temple University, insisted that it was your duty to get rich.

But, the Bible says;

Proverbs 23:4  Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.

Those who have wealth are warned not to trust in it as it cannot save them.

Psalm 49:6 ¶  They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; 7  None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: 8  (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:) 9  That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.

Paul told Timothy to warn Christians;

1Timothy 6:6 ¶  But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and

pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11  But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

    13 ¶  I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; 14  That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: 15  Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16  Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. 17  Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18  That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 19  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

And Paul, a tentmaker as per Acts 18:3, gave the ideal for Christian employment;

1Thessalonians 4:11  And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;12  That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

James warned Christians to have the proper attitude toward status and wealth.

James 2:1 ¶  My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2  For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3  And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4  Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are

become judges of evil thoughts? 5  Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 6  But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7  Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

We have laws in this country today that protect us from many, but not all, of the abuses of the past that the rich and powerful imposed upon their lessers but we must always remember that our safety and protection can ultimately only come from God.

Verse 26 is a warning that being celebrated and approved by the powerful, asked to be on their TV shows, sponsored on their stages, etc. is not necessarily a sign of God’s approval. As Ruckman said, the media won’t celebrate a preacher they can’t use and so it goes with power in general.

Exodus 17:1-7 comments: a rock gushing with water

Exodus 17:1 ¶  And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. 2  Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? 3  And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? 4  And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. 5  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. 6  Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7  And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?

Again, the Hebrews complain. The complaint seems legitimate. This mass of people and their animals must have water but again they are doubting God’s provision, even His ability to sustain them or His will to preserve them. Here they are, probably moving through the Sinai Peninsula and very uncertain about their fate, having seen a tremendous miracle of the parting of the Red Sea but now uncertain again of their survival. They are afraid.

The body of the children of Israel are, in type, examples of the individual Christian. In other words, we each are like the children of Israel as a group. I am not talking about following God in how you dress, what you view as entertainment, or whether or not your language is raw or you drink so-called adult beverages. I’m talking about whether or not you actually believe God’s promises as laid out in the Bible. God seems to be underscoring to us, emphasizing that He places a great importance on our trusting Him, and not only trusting Him, but accepting His timing and His judgments even if they are not pleasant experiences to us.

One thing missing from the Christian’s walk with God, one of probably many things missing, is trust. We receive mercy after mercy, blessing after blessing, deliverance after deliverance, and then complain loudly when faced with a problem. We complain so loudly you would think we never knew God’s kindness at all. How many Christians have even doubted the premise of their faith in God, even doubted His very existence, because they are walking through a dry land and are thirsty?

Moses strikes the rock in front of the elders and water came out of the rock.

Psalm 78:15  He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths. 16  He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers…20  Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

Psalm 105:41  He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.

Part of our problem spiritually is that we do not thirst after God’s righteousness but are always thirsty for the wrong thing.

Matthew 5:6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

The rock is Christ and in mankind’s first encounter with Him they struck Him.

1Corinthians 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Isaiah 53:1 ¶  Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? 2  For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

    4 ¶  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8  He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9  And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

    10 ¶  Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin…

This had to be, God ordained it so. There is no other way for us to be delivered from the consequences of our breaking fellowship with God by our sin than for God Himself to pay the ransom He demanded for the sinner’s soul and to be the propitiation to appease His own wrath.

The Bible contains many pithy sayings that stick in your mind. There is I believe; help thou mine unbelief in Mark 9:24 and Be still, and know that I am God in Psalm 46:10 among many others that should ring in our brains in practically every situation. Here also is one of the great ones that may come to mind in many a church meeting where contention and strife are present; Is the LORD among us, or not?

The Sinai Peninsula is about 150 miles wide and contains a million and a half residents today. If this mass of people in Exodus is moving at the rate of only ten miles a day they could traverse the peninsula in half a month, of course. We will get a little more information in the next passage on where they actually are at this point. Do not be confused by traditions or where some Christian group has placed a monastery. It was not uncommon for Christian groups to read back tradition into the Bible and declare a place as the location of a Bible event when the truth is not known for sure. Traditions have placed Mount Sinai in the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula or in Arabia based on what Paul said when Arabia covered a huge area, larger than we think of today. Arabia Petraea was a Roman province that encompassed parts of present day Jordan, the northwest Arabian peninsula, and the Sinai peninsula from the second century. It was also bordered by Arabia Deserta and Arabia Felix so obviously this area was known as Arabia in Paul’s time.

It is also the same with unbelievers who say that Mount Sinai must have been a volcano and there is no volcano in the Sinai because they don’t believe in the truth of God’s presence and the power He displayed as per the Bible. These same people call Ezekiel’s vision a UFO because of their unbelief.

What comes next suggests the Hebrews traveled more easterly than southerly.

Sermon at Lake Marburg Baptist Church this morning on Luke 12:22-12:59 - important things

Luke 12:22 ¶  And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. 23  The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. 24  Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? 25  And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? 26  If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? 27  Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28  If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? 29  And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 30  For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 31  But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. 32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33  Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. 34  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 35  Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; 36  And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. 37  Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. 38  And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39  And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. 40  Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

Jesus was previously invited to dinner with a Pharisee who considered that Jesus did not follow the ritual hand washing the Pharisees required which drew a sermon on the hypocrisy of the Pharisees which he then reiterated to a throng of people, encouraging them to confess Christ before men in spite of the persecution they would face from the Pharisees. He then reinforced that they should focus on what is important and not on worldly matters. He spoke of covetousness and laying up treasure with God. This has been a very powerful teaching time for Christ and is very important for us.

Jesus continues His lesson about covetousness and what to concern ourselves with and not concern ourselves with from the previous passage and tells His disciples that they should not worry about the basics of life; food and clothing. In His model prayer for them, which He gave in the previous chapter He included Give us day by day our daily bread.

Paul wrote by the wisdom given to him by the Holy Spirit.

2Peter 3:15  And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16  As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Paul told the Philippian church…

Philippians 4:19  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

An interesting note here is that God provides our food and that of the beasts and fowls in spite of all of the National Geographic and Discovery Channel blather about predator and prey. You didn’t think that zebra that the lions brought down was chosen by God for their food did you? We are so clueless to the unsearchableness of God’s mind, the Holy Ghost, acting in the world.

Psalm 104:21  The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.

In God’s own words as He spoke to Job He said the following.

Job 38:39  Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions, 40  When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait? 41  Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.

Jesus reveals how powerless we are to change many of the most important circumstances in our lives. For instance, all of the Norman Vincent Peale or Dale Carnegie type of positive thinking in the world won’t make you 6’3 rather than 5’8.

We don’t control the most basic of circumstances and yet we worry about things that are way beyond our control. We think we control our health and thereby extend our lives by diet and exercise, one of my favorite objects of thought and action, but that too may be an illusion.

Job 7:1  Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?

Psalms 39:4  LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.

We see news stories about how scientists are on the verge of or at least thinking about everything from extending our lifespans hundreds of years to curing all diseases with gene manipulation and, truthfully, it is almost laughable if it were not so painfully sad in that man thinks so highly of his ability to oppose God’s ordinances and the boundaries He has set and people hope while they lay dying.

God will care for us and we are not to doubt. The unbelieving world is concerned about these carnal things, these things of the flesh, but we are to be about God’s business and all of these things will be given to us as needed. Of course, this is easy to have as a standard of our faith in a rich country where we spend so much less of our income on food than in places in Africa, South America, or Asia. Christians are suffering in some places and in some instances almost always due to cultural impediments and economic injustice and the oligarchic rule of a few powerful, narcissistic sociopaths, sin and wickedness which we who are so blessed should be willing to fight on our poorer brothers and sisters’ behalf. They, on their side, need to trust in God to provide, to pray for deliverance, and that this day they receive just enough to get by knowing that things may not be resolved in this life as they live in a fallen world in fallen bodies under the judgment of sin and the evil, malicious designs of the powerful and the wealthy.

Specifically, and doctrinally, though, Jesus is speaking directly to His Jewish disciples in the first century in a preview of the book of Acts by telling them to sell what they have and be about His business telling Israel about Him and then, after His crucifixion expectantly waiting for His return in an hour they will not have imagined. We must remember in reading this that Christ’s crucifixion and His resurrection were immediate future. We must also remember that God dispersed the Jewish Christians from Jerusalem in Acts so that they would fulfill His command for them to be witnesses to the world rather than hold up in that compound/bunker mentality in Jerusalem.

We Christians today are given this from Paul to keep in our hearts.

Titus 2:11 ¶  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

For those who would use the watches mentioned as a key to knowing when Christ will return verse 40 is an alarm that tells us we should not claim knowledge we do not have. Your preacher does not really know when Christ will return and acting as a minister of Satan by misrepresenting God does not speak well for those who claim that knowledge from the pulpit. We are not given prophecy for us to sit smugly and shout to those we consider spiritual lessers that we know when that will be or who the Antichrist is or other things we do not know. Prophecy is given for a specific reason according to Jesus Himself.

John 16:4  But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.

Just as Paul gave us the reason for the preservation of the Old Testament writings and histories.

Romans 15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

To all those people out there who divide and parse out words and verses and examine numbers and compare verses to current news items, writing books like ones I have from the 1990s about how Saddam Hussein was rebuilding Babylon and could be the Antichrist all the way back to those who called Kaiser Wilhelm the Beast of Revelation I say one thing. Spend more time considering and obeying what Christ has told you to do, how to treat God and others, and less time presuming knowledge you do not have.

Deuteronomy 29:29  The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

My final comment on Old Testament prophecy in particular is to ask you to remember that every individual Christian’s life is like the experience of the entire nation of Israel taken collectively. We can be visited by God and judged in this life for our sin and disobedience but God will never forsake us, as He will not Israel, or put us away forever because it is Christ’s righteousness and not our own that saves us. We can look at Old Testament prophecy as directly applying to the Jews then, as applying to the first and second advents of Christ, and as a tale of how our backsliding and rebellion can lead to ruin and despair knowing only that Christ will lift our sorry heads out of the dust, as He will Israel’s, at the end of the day.

    12:41 ¶  Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? 42  And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? 43  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 44  Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. 45  But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46  The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47  And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48  But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. 49  I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? 50  But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! 51  Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: 52  For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 53  The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

Peter’s question is met by a direct answer from Christ regarding the labors of the apostles and even future ministers of the gospel. Paul referred to the ministers of the gospel as stewards of the mysteries of God.

1Corinthians 4:1 ¶  Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2  Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

He moved from covetousness to being watchful to now a warning to the shepherds of His flock. Disobedience to this warning is apparent all through Christian history as it was all through the history of the Jews before Christ. The primary duty of a minister of Christ is to feed the flock of God with His words, not to lord it over the flock as some kind of boss man.

1Peter 5:1 ¶  The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2  Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3  Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4  And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Down through the last two thousand years abusers among the so-called clergy have run rampant through the flock of God doing great harm. We hear about Catholic priests today who abuse the most helpless members of their congregations but we also must consider the thousands of Baptist pastors and youth ministers who have done the same. Jesus talks about how the fowls of the air, used in typology for the Devil himself in Mark, chapter 4, will lodge in the shadow of the tree and in its branches, the tree that grows unnaturally large as the kingdom of God and Heaven in Luke 13:19 and Mark 4:32.

Jesus also warns that there are counterfeits among the brethren in Matthew 13:24 regarding the wheat and the tares. In the Old Testament God has an accusation about the false teachers in Israel. Understand that Biblically defined, with and uniting synonyms in most contexts, a pastor is a teacher as per Ephesians 4:11 and prophets are preachers and teachers as per Nehemiah 6:7 and 2Peter 2:1.

Jeremiah 23:1 ¶  Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. 2  Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD. 3  And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 4  And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD. 5  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 6  In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7  Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; 8  But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.

    9 ¶  Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness. 10  For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right. 11  For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD. 12  Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD. 13  And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err. 14  I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. 15  Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land. 16  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the

LORD. 17  They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. 18  For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it? 19  Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked. 20  The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly. 21  I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. 22  But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings. 23  Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? 24  Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD. 25  I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. 26  How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets

of the deceit of their own heart; 27  Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal. 28  The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD. 29  Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? 30  Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. 31  Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. 32  Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.

    33 ¶  And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD. 34  And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house. 35  Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What hath the LORD answered? and, What hath the LORD spoken? 36  And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man’s word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God. 37  Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the LORD answered thee? and, What hath the LORD spoken? 38  But since ye say, The burden of the LORD; therefore thus saith the LORD; Because ye say this word, The burden of the LORD, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the LORD; 39  Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence: 40  And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.

Peter devotes what has come down to us as a chapter to the damage wrought by Christian false teachers in 2Peter 2.

2Peter 2:1 ¶  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

    3 ¶  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 4  For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5  And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6  And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

    7 ¶  And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8  (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 9  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

    10 ¶  But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. 11  Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. 12  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; 13  And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 14  Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 15  Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16  But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet. 17  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Here, in this lesson Jesus is giving it is worse for you to know the truth and to act on it unwisely and disobey than it is for you to not know the truth at all. Perhaps that can be one meaning of Paul’s statement in Romans.

Romans 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 ¶  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

The truth that Jesus reveals will not produce unity in the world but cause divisions down to the very household and family of believers and those who reject Him. There can be no middle ground with Christ. You either trust Him or you don’t. This fire is already kindled by the work of the dividers and the false teachers and elders who plague the cause of Christ as evidenced by the multitude of Protestant denominations and the three great branches of Christianity that are polluted by leaven, a type of hypocrisy and false doctrine in Matthew 16:12 and here in Luke 12:1.

Matthew 13:33  Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Luke 13:20  And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

[The woman of this parable may be a reference to Ashtaroth, the fertility goddess of the Canaanites of the Old Testament, who is basically the same as Ishtar, the goddess of liberty and prostitutes of the Babylonians whose statue sits in New York Harbor as Lady Liberty, and various feminine incarnations of Satan around the world including the Japanese Amateratsu, the Roman Diana, or the Greek Artemis among others. It should not be hard to think of Satan as both masculine and feminine as some of the gods of the ancient world were portrayed as both male and female. For instance, the Egyptian god, Atum, was also called the great he-she.]

It appears that what Jesus is saying here is that His servants must be expectantly awaiting His return at any time and going about the business He has given them of expressing the fruit of the Spirit in the world, loving God and their fellow mankind, particularly the brethren, not abusing or mistreating those who God has placed in their care and, most importantly, feeding the flock of God. Those who know the most have the most expected out of them and will suffer loss in that degree based on their unfaithfulness.

James 3:1 ¶  My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

As was mentioned earlier in the parable found in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and upcoming in Luke 13 of the mustard seed that grows unnaturally into a great tree, in the Christian church organization there are many unsaved fake tares, false wheat, and these counterfeits are hiding among its branches and in its shadow.

2Corinthians 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

They will find their place in the lake of unquenchable fire when a reckoning is made, with the ignorant unbelievers, though their punishment will be greater.

Matthew 13:40  As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

   

Verse 50 appears to be likening the coming crucifixion to a baptism for the man who is also God (see Matthew 20:22.) He is focused on it and it is His mission and His purpose. He must be killed by man, paying the price for man’s sins against Himself as God, and then rise from the dead after 3 days.

Straitened is a synonym of being narrowed or focused, restricted by something, either a thing, person, or circumstance. See the definition of strait in the following in the context.

Matthew 7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

The gate and the way are strait and narrow. I hope you can see one way the Bible defines itself here.

12:54 ¶  And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. 55  And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. 56  Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time? 57  Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right? 58  When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. 59  I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.

Christ has spoken directly to His disciples and now He turns to the people in general. Here, Jesus talks about how they can predict the weather by what is clear and plain in the sky or in the direction of the wind but they cannot see what is going on right in front of them and make a judgment. He warns about judgment. They do not realize the day they live in as the day of God visiting them on earth. He visited Israel in blessing and in judgment in the past and now He has come bringing salvation or eternal loss if they reject Him.

Here is the Messiah, the Christ, offering salvation to the Jews and to mankind. Man is in rebellion against his Creator and he would do well for himself if he accepted that Creator’s terms before judgment came upon him.

People who are not blinded by self-conceit will come to a place in their lives where it is obvious that God is speaking to them through the events and circumstances that placed them where they are. If they will just acknowledge that the signs are showing them just how badly they need to repent of their wickedness and turn to God they can be saved. God doesn’t just speak through a person who is presenting the gospel. He speaks through the events of your life, the consequences of your sins, and the circumstances brought upon you either by yourself or others stumbling blindly through this world.

We must be ready and be about God’s business as the time of the end or our time of the end approaches not wasting our time in the idolatry of covetousness and glorifying things of this world that get in the way with our responsibility as Christians. God’s business does not include abusing each other, trying to control each other, dominating each other, being implacable, unmerciful, and self-righteous. God’s business is the kingdom of God and just as Jesus will tell us in Luke 17 that the kingdom of God is an invisible kingdom and is within us and in John 18:36 not of this world, Paul tells us in Romans 14:17 that it is not a physical thing but is in fact righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.  

Jesus has told us what is not important and what is. He was warned His Jewish disciples and the future Christian. He has given us commands and we would do well to consider them and weigh them carefully in our hearts. Time is short. If Christ does not return this year or the next you or I may certainly die and go see Him face to face in that time. It is not for you or I to know that time. But, be prepared.